The Journal•History
The world’s most expensive typewriter
Some typewriters are not simple tools: they are legends. In 2009, one of them changed hands for a staggering sum. The story of a small portable that became a myth.
Auction price — Christie’s, New York, 2009
In the fascinating world of typewriters, some pieces are not only tools: they are genuine collector’s items. Carried by history and rarity, a few reach staggering prices at auction. But which is the most expensive typewriter ever sold — and why does it stir such passion?
Cormac McCarthy’s Olivetti Lettera 32
The most expensive typewriter in history is an Olivetti Lettera 32 — the one belonging to the American novelist Cormac McCarthy, author of masterpieces such as The Road and No Country for Old Men. For more than fifty years he typed his entire body of work on that small portable.
In 2009 the machine went under the hammer at Christie’s in New York. It found a buyer for the incredible sum of $254,500 — an absolute record for a typewriter. The most astonishing part? McCarthy had bought it second-hand in 1963 for barely $50.
Bought for $50 in 1963, sold for $254,500 in 2009: the finest return in the history of writing.
Why such a price?
Several things explain this historic sale:
- Provenance — this is not simply a production model, but the faithful companion of a giant of American literature.
- Emotion — every key, every mark of wear speaks of thousands of hours of writing and creation.
- Symbolism — in the digital age, the object embodies the power of authentic writing and of perseverance.
- Emotional rarity — the Lettera 32 is a common model, but the story of this particular one makes it absolutely unique.
Other legendary machines
Cormac McCarthy’s machine is not the only one to have left its mark:
- Ernest Hemingway’s Royal Quiet Deluxe, still famous even though his actual machine has never been formally traced.
- Ian Fleming’s Remington Portable — the father of James Bond — another model much sought after by collectors.
The market for vintage typewriters is driven by nostalgia, by a passion for traditional writing, and sometimes by the urge to own a genuine fragment of history.
A timeless object, between writing and collecting
Typewriters cannot be reduced to their market value. Even the most modest carries a story, a soul, an authenticity that appeals to writers and lovers of vintage objects alike. At Matypo we believe every machine deserves a second life: restored with care, they are waiting for their next chapter — perhaps written by you.